Update May 8

We are continuing to watch the tv series based on McCullough's book John Adams. We are skipping a few scenes in the film which contain moments of nudity.  Meanwhile, students should continue to read John Adams, searching for clues that will help them on the final exam essay question: What do you learn from John and Abigail Adams about what it means to be a Christian citizen?

Homework:
Read through page 144 in John Adams.

Update May 5

No new homework.

Today we had a guest teacher who taught about the differences between classical and Rogerian argument.

Update May 2

Today we worked on the final essay question regarding how Christians approach argument. We subdivided the topic into the following:
1) tactics
2) topics
3) purpose
4) assumptions

We also raised these questions:
1) What role does faith play in argument?
2) What kind of evidence does a Christian use in argument?
3) How does a Christian communicate with a secular world?
4) When is scriptural and prophetic evidence appropriate and helpful?

Homework:
Please read through page 93 of John Adams.

Update April 30

We discussed the final exam (see separate post). Students should begin preparing now for the exam. They may write the mini-essays ahead of time and seek feedback. In class over the next couple of weeks we will be focusing our discussions on the essay topics. Today we addressed the question of What is argument?

Homework:
Read John Adams through page 59.

Final Exam

Please compose a series of five mini-essays reflecting on each of the following questions. In responding to them, review all that you have learned this year about rhetoric. You will want to review the class syllabus (see attached) and your notes.

·         What is argument? What are the resources of language and how do they contribute to argument?

·         In what ways does a Christian argue differently?

·         Which arguments from our readings this year have been most meaningful to you? Why? What have you learned from them about argument?

·         What have you learned from John and Abigail Adams about what it means to be a Christian citizen?

·         How do you envision yourself using what you have learned about argument this year to further God’s work in your life? What are you willing to do right now in your life to pledge your allegiance to God and country?

On the days of the final exam, May 20-21, please be prepared to present for 2 minutes on the most important insights you gained from writing the essays.

 

Essay Grading Criteria

Depth & Density—Your ideas should reflect depth and density of thought and ideas.

Artful expression—You should demonstrate your ability to draw on the resources of language (i.e., organization, syntax, diction, imagery, tropes, appeals) to effectively and artfully communicate your witness of truth.

Evidence—Your essays should balance abstract ideas with concrete examples and evidence. When appropriate, use the four-part evidence analysis format.

Open-heartedness—Your essays should reveal sincere and personal reflection on your learning and your life. Remember, “out of the abundance of the heart” the pen writeth.

Technical Accuracy—Your essays should be grammatically clean. Each essay should also meet the length requirement of 300-500 words. Essays should be typed and in MLA format. Sources should be cited appropriately.

Update April 28

Students wrote final reflections on Uncle Tom's Cabin, including Stowe's concluding remarks. All personal reflections and word webs will be collected in class tomorrow.

The following page numbers reflect reading assignments for which journals are needed:

• 35
• 53
• 73
• 93
• 113
• 133
• 153
• 173
• 193
• 202
• 218
• 236
• 257
• 276
• 289
• 305
• 379

The last five will be collected tomorrow.

Homework: In class we also began reading John Adams (McCullough). Please read through page 35 by tomorrow.

Update April 23

Today and tomorrow we are having independent reading time. Students need to finish reading Uncle Tom Cabin by Monday.

Update April 21

We had guest teachers on Friday and today. Today's discussion focused on portrayals of Uncle Tom since the publication of the novel. Friday's discussion focused on criticisms of the novel as being too sentimental. For homework, please read Uncle Tom's Cabin through page 320.

Update April 15

We have been working on a word study of "bondage" in relation to our reading in Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Homework: Read through page 276 in Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Consider how you can be a modern-day abolitionist in striving to overcome personal or societal bondage.

Update April 2

We continued watching the Abolitionists documentary. By tomorrow, students should read through page 236. They should also do another word web.

Personal responses and word webs will be turned in on Friday.

Update March 31

We write personal reflections for the readings pp. 153-173 and pp.173-193 in Uncle Tom's Cabin. We did a word web together, and added an element to them. Along with the etymological roots, students should identify multiple words using each root. For one of the roots, students should explain briefly how the meaning of the word is related to the etymological root.

Homework:
Read through page 202 in Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Update March 28

By Monday, please read through page 193 of Uncle Tom's Cabin and do a corresponding word web.  In class we are continuing our study of the documentary on American abolitionists.

Update March 27

In class we are watching a documentary on the abolitionist movement.  Students should read Uncle Tom's Cabin through page 173 by tomorrow and do an accompanying word web.

Update March 25

We have been reading from Uncle Tom's Cabin. By tomorrow, students should read through page 153. They should also complete another word web on a vocabulary word selected from the assigned reading.

In class, we have been reading arguments defending slavery written in the mid-1800s.

Update March 19

Students should have read through page 53 in Uncle Tom's Cabin by today. We are taking a reader-response approach to this novel, trying to understand why it was a best-seller of the 19th century and how it was able to turn the tide of popular opinion on slavery in America.

In class, students will write a personal reflection on each reading assignment. They will also create a word web for one vocabulary word from each reading assignment.

A word web includes the following:
1) word
2) part of speech
3) definition
4) sentence from Uncle Tom's Cabin showing how it is used in context
5) synonym and antonym (must be the same part of speech)
6) etymological word parts ("roots"), each with a picture representing the meaning of the root and other words that also use the same root

By studying etymology, student can enhance their vocabulary more rapidly and meaningfully than by memorizing word lists.

Update March 17

We read together from Uncle Tom's Cabin. By tomorrow, please read through page 35.

Update March 4

We are working on revising our Huck Finn rhetorical analysis essays. Second drafts will be due on Thursday.

We looked at some model student papers to see how the four-part quotation analysis functions. We also examined transition sentences.  Students should ensure they have a clear thesis statement which tells specifically what Twain is saying about American society.

Homework: Work on your essay.

Update Feb. 28

First draft of Huck Finn rhetorical analysis essays due today.

We enjoyed a presentation by Dr. Steven Walker on humor in the Bible.

An address by Dr. Walker from a BYU-ID devotional can be found at the following link:
http://www2.byui.edu/Presentations/transcripts/majorforums/2003_07_17_walker.htm

His recent book is available on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Illuminating-Humor-Bible-Steven-Walker/dp/1620321483

Update Feb. 25

Students are working on their rhetorical analysis essays of Huckleberry Finn. We discussed rhetorical strategies typically associated with satire or which are predominant in the novel:

1. irony
1. verbal irony--irony in which a person says or writes one thing and means another, or uses words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning.
1. understatement--a figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is
2. dramatic irony--irony that is inherent in speeches or a situation of a drama and is understood by the audience but not grasped by the characters.
3. situational irony--irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected.
2. juxtaposition or parallel scenes/characters/situations
3. exaggeration
1. caricature--where particular aspects of a character are exaggerated to create a silly or comic effect, often the follies of an individual or a stereotype are amplified for critical examination
4. parody-- an imitation of a particular writer, artist or a genre exaggerating it deliberately to produce a comic effect
5. allusion--a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. It does not describe in detail the person or thing to which it refers, but relies on the reader's familiarity to "fill in" the unstated significance of the reference.
6. symbolism

Homework: Continue working on your essay outline. We moved the due date for the first draft from Thursday to Friday this week.

Update Feb. 21

We discussed the questions from Lectures on Faith related to Twain. Students were officially assigned the rhetorical analysis essay on Huck Finn, the first draft of which will be due next Thursday.  Students began creating T-charts for their essays.

Huck Finn Rhetorical Essay

Prompt: Analyze the strategies Mark Twain uses to satirize American society in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? Why are those strategies likely to be effective for his audience? What is he saying about American society?

Guidance:

·         Ensure that your argument is cohesive. It should not be simply a collection of paragraphs talking in isolation about Twain’s rhetorical strategies; rather, paragraphs should work together to reveal how Twain’s novel works to communicate his main ideas.

 

·         Do not just identify Twain’s rhetorical strategies. Show how those strategies relate to the historical occasion and the concerns of his audience. (Use your SOAPSTone analysis.)

·         Remember, Twain publishes the novel in 1884, long after the end of slavery. Thus the novel is more likely to be about the failure of Reconstruction than about slavery.

·         Use the four-part quotation analysis pattern for each body paragraph:

1.       Claim

2.       Background/Context for the Quotation

3.       Quotation (or paraphrase, or summary)

4.       Commentary on the quotation

·         Length: I am not specifying a length because I don’t want you to fill pages with fluff. Rather, consider all that we have learned about Huckleberry Finn and consider that this assignment is worth 150 points and is the main assessment of what you have learned this term. It would be impossible to do this topic justice in a five paragraph essay.

To get started, you need to create a T-chart showing Twain’s rhetorical strategies and the effects of the strategies on the readers.

Update Feb. 19

Students studied in pairs the fourth lecture from Lectures on Faith. Then they responded in writing to the following questions:

1. What is the nature of God?
2. What does Twain fail to understand which keeps him from good faith?
3. What is life like for someone who doesn't have good faith?

Update Feb. 18

Today I collected students' reflections on why Huckleberry Finn matters to them.

We then discussed the central theme from the novel of self-betrayal and bad faith. We saw that Twain's ideas are grounded in his assumptions about human nature and the nature of God. To help us understand the opposite of bad faith, we will be studying the fourth lecture from the Lectures on Faith.

Homework:
Finish your SOAPSTone analysis of Huckleberry Finn. You should have it all done except for last minute questions you may want to ask tomorrow. Remember, you should write down as much as you can for each of the SOAPSTone categories:
Speaker
Occasion
Audience
Purpose
Subject
Tone

Update Feb. 11

We finished the lecture by Prof. Forrest Robinson on Twain and slavery. We then discussed how the lecture enlightens our understanding of Huckleberry Finn. Students should begin outlining an essay on the question of how Twain satirizes American society through the novel.

Homework:
Read through page 202 of Huckleberry Finn.

Update Feb. 10

During class on Thursday and today we watched and discussed a recorded lecture on Twain and slavery. The video introduces the concept of bad faith, the phenomenon when people act as though something were true which they actually know to be false. It is a form of self-deception. We learned that self-deception is usually a communal act of denying what everyone knows to be true. We also learned that it is the very act of concealment that calls attention to the truth, thus ironically serving as a revelation of guilt. Thus Twain, or Clemens, claims that as a boy he was unaware that slavery was wrong since everyone acted as though it were right; nonetheless, this is clearly an act of denial or bad faith. We discussed how The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is itself an act of bad faith, for it tells the story of innocence lost when it seems that innocence was not the original state. The novel is an attempt to cover up national guilt by claiming ignorance/innocence prior to a moral awakening.

Homework:
Read through page 189 of Huckleberry Finn.

AP
We are working on writing rhetorical analyses. We have been learning to identify rhetorical strategies and their effects on audiences. Today we focused particularly on syntactical patterns including periodic and loose sentences.

Last week we learned about writing effective transition sentences that serve as "bridges" between paragraphs. We also reviewed paragraph structure for analysis writing:
1) claim
2) context for quotation
3) quotation
4) analysis of quotation

Of course, multiple quotations might be used in a single paragraph in support of the same claim. Such a paragraph might be structured as 123234 or 1234234.

Homework:
Review the list of rhetorical strategies. Look up any terms you do not yet know. Add any terms you feel are missing.

Update Feb. 6

Yesterday we read together from Huckleberry Finn. We discussed Huck's decision to "go to hell" rather than turn in Jim.

Today we watched the first 23 minutes of a lecture on Twain and slavery . We discussed the concept of bad faith and considered ways in which we might engage in bad faith ourselves.

Homework: Read through page 175 of Huckleberry Finn by Monday.

Update Feb. 4

In class we finished reading and discussing "The Decay of the Art of Lying" by Twain. We also looked at a few passages from Huck Finn:

1) page 111-- Just after Sherburn has dissipated the mob with a speech on how the average person is a coward, Huck lies to himself by also leaving saying, "I could a staid, if I'd a wanted to, but I didn't want to."

2) page 114-- When the audience in the King and Duke's Royal Nonesuch show realizes they have been conned, they respond "But we don't want to be the laughing-stock of this whole town, I reckon, and never hear the last of this thing as long as we live. No. What we want, is to go out of here quiet, and talk this show up, and sell the rest of the town! Then we'll all be in the same boat. Ain't that sensible?" The people perpetuate a lie to save face.

3) page 127-- When the King is posing as the Wilks brother, he realizes he has been using the wrong word to talk about funeral obsequies, calling them funeral orgies instead. He covers his track with an absurd explanation of the Greek and Hebrew roots of the word "orgies" arguing it is actually the best word. This is one of the most grotesque examples of covering the truth with a lie in plain sight. Twain seems to indicate how absurd the lie is through the meanings of the supposed word roots: orgo=outside, open, abroad and jeesum=to plant, to cover up. Something is indeed being covered up in wide open view, namely the truth. The people want to be deceived and so they allow this disgusting con to proceed, even when the truth of it stinks to high heavens.

Homework:

• Rhetorical Notebook entry for "The Decay of the Art of Lying" is due tomorrow.

Update Feb. 3

In light of our class discussion on Friday, students took a quiz on Huck Finn responding to the question: Why did Twain include the King and the Duke in the novel?

Next, students finished presenting their fashion analyses.

Homework:
Write a well-structured, complete paragraph synthesizing what you learned from the fashion analysis presentations about the messages communicated by the clothing we wear. Did you observe some common themes across various fashion styles? What were your "aha" insights? What are you, personally, taking away from this experience?

Please ensure that your paragraph is well-formed. It should have a clear topic sentence, strong supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence. Supporting sentences should use concrete examples and imagery to support your abstract ideas.

Update Jan. 30

Students continued giving their fashion analysis presentations.

Homework:
Read through page 155 of Huckleberry Finn.

Update Jan. 29

Students should have read up through page 135 of Huckleberry Finn by today.
In class yesterday and today, we have been having student fashion analysis presentations. The audience is required to reflect on the presentations by writing responses to the following for each presentation:
1) What is one strength of the presentation?
2) What additional insight can you add to the presenters' analysis?

Homework:
Rhetorical notebook entry for "The Decay of the Art of Lying" due tomorrow.

AP
On Monday students took a timed synthesis essay test on the topic of the U.S. Postal Service. Today we analyzed a student response that demonstrates strong voice. We also reviewed spelling rules/guidelines. Finally, we continued our study of the satirical article on advertising methods.

Update Jan. 27

We read together from Twain's essay "The Decay of the Art of Lying." We read and annotated the first half.  We will continue work on this tomorrow.  We then read together pages 109-111 of Huck Finn. We discussed Sherburn's speech and what Twain might be saying about Southern culture. He seems to be pointing out a different kind of hypocrisy than that which he highlighted with the Grangerford episode, a hypocrisy of cowardice masquerading as bravado.

Homework:
Read through page 123 of Huck Finn.
Be prepared to present your fashion analysis any day this week.

Update Jan. 23

Students worked with their partners on their fashion analysis assignment. They will have one more in-class day to prepare for their presentations which will begin next week. Remember, the PowerPoints must be submitted on Monday.

Update Jan. 22

Students took a reading quiz on the following question. What was Twain satirizing about Southern society in the Grangerford episode of Huckleberry Finn?

We discussed this question after the quiz, noting the ways Twain satirized the South's religious hypocrisy, obsession with gentlemanly honor, slave culture, and feuding culture (including the Civil War itself). We noted that the Grangerford's appearance of gentility was only a façade, like the Gilded Age itself. This hypocrisy was captured in the symbolism of Colonel Grangerford's white suit, also worn by Twain in a carefully manicured public persona.

Students were paired off to work on their new assignment:

Fashion Analysis

 

As Mark Twain has demonstrated by wearing his white suit, even the clothes we wear are an argument. Read the following excerpt from the “For the Strength of Youth” booklet and note what it says about how our dress and appearance communicate messages for good or for bad.

Through your dress and appearance, you can show that you know how precious your body is. You can show that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ and that you love Him. … When you are well groomed and modestly dressed, you invite the companionship of the Spirit and you can be a good influence on others.  Your dress and grooming influence the way you and others act.  … When you dress immodestly, you send a message that is contrary to your identity as a son or daughter of God. You also send the message that you are using your body to get attention and approval.

Your assignment is to conduct a fashion analysis. You are to select a photograph or collection of photographs that illustrate a specific wardrobe or fashion style. Then, you should analyze the rhetoric of the clothing. Consider the following questions as you conduct your analysis:

1.     What emotions do you associate with the clothing?

2.     What is the viewer likely to associate with the clothing? (What does the clothing remind the viewer of?)

3.     What group of people would the clothing we associated with?

4.     What colors are dominant and what emotional effect do the colors have?

5.     What shapes are dominant and what is the effect?

6.     What message is the clothing intended to communicate?

7.     What does the clothing say about masculinity or femininity?

8.     What does the clothing say about authority?

9.     What does the clothing say about beauty?

10.  What does the clothing say about the body?

11. What does the clothing say about age?

12. What does the clothing say about individuality?

13. What does the clothing say about unity?

14. What does the clothing say about what is important?

15. What role, if any, does brand name play in the clothing?

You will work with a partner on this assignment. With your partner, prepare to make an oral presentation of your fashion analysis during class next week. For your presentation, you must bring a BRIEF PowerPoint presentation with your selected images. Do not include text in your PowerPoint; rather, be prepared to orally share your analysis in a concise, organized manner. You need to prepare notecards with main talking points. Your presentation should be 3-5 minutes in length. It should focus on both WHAT the clothing communicates and HOW it communicates.

Obviously, it would be inappropriate to show images during class that are pornographic in any way. Please be careful in your image selection. You need to bring your PowerPoint to class Monday so that you can load it onto my computer.

Update Jan. 21

Students took a brief reading quiz. Then we discussed whether or not Jim and Huck are friends. We noted that although Huck wants to believe it is a friendship, societal pressures make it an impossibility anywhere but on the raft. Whereas we are told the story through the narration of a young white boy, we must be wary readers and note what Huck may not realize. For example, Jim may not truly be happy to see Huck at the Grangerfords. Perhaps he intended to leave without Huck and regrets his discovery, but must keep up appearances with Huck. A lifelong slave, Jim would certainly have experience managing perceptions of the whites in his life.

We also viewed images of Mark Twain in his white suit. We discussed the ways in which the suit symbolizes hypocrisy and how Twain may be using it as a way of calling out his own hypocrisy as well as indirectly calling for others, particularly in the "genteel" Southern culture, to recognize the ways in which they too may be "whited sepulchers."

Homework: Finish the first draft of the "Modest Proposal."

Update Jan. 16

By today, you should have read up through page 88 of Huck Finn. Today in class we discussed our writing assignment (see details below). We also read a sample satirical article on gun control (http://www.theonion.com/articles/nra-sets-1000-killed-in-school-shooting-as-amount,28352/). We examined the way in which the author indirectly criticized various parts of the NRA's stance on gun control. We also noted that there is a difference between satire which tears down and satire that builds up. This article seems to represent the former, whereas "A Modest Proposal" is the latter.

Homework: Work on your own "Modest Proposal" imitation article.


A Modest Proposal Imitation Assignment

In “A Modest Proposal”, Jonathan Swift proposes a solution to Ireland’s poverty: turn the children of the poor into an edible delicacy. His essay employs the methods of satire: juxtaposition, irony, narrative point of view, understatement, overstatement, tone, etc. He takes an absurd idea so seriously that readers are shocked by the idea; then he turns the tables on the readers to redirect their shock towards their own assumptions about poverty. He uses the first portion of his essay to establish a logical voice for his narrator, so that the reader can be properly shocked by the proposal when he introduces it. He reveals his true beliefs about what should be done about poverty by saying, “Don’t talk to me about…” For this assignment, you need to write a satirical article imitating Swift’s use of satirical strategies.

Topic

Your satire should address a current social issue of your choosing. You might propose a solution to gun control or to the national debt. You might propose a solution to the United States’ international relations with Iran or North Korea. You might propose a solution to the problem of college student debt or the decline of the family. You might choose a state or even local issue such as air pollution in Utah. Whatever topic you choose to discuss, make sure that what you write is appropriate for publication in the AHS newspaper.

 
Humor

Satires use humor to ridicule those social practices and beliefs that the writer believes need to be changed. It can be effective when the humor causes the readers to reexamine their beliefs and assumptions about the topic. Please note that humor can be used as a weapon as well as a tool. Please be careful with the former. Do not use humor to be verbally violent or vulgar. This is a delicate balancing act. You must use humor with sharpness to cut to the root of the issue; however, after reading your entire article, the reader must come away enlightened. Satire can tear down, but more importantly it can build up. Please make sure that your satire does both.

 Additional Stipulations

1)      Title—Your title should imitate the form of Swift’s title, “A Modest Proposal for…”

2)      Length—Your article should be 550-600 words in length. Length is less important than strong writing and effective imitation of Swift’s rhetorical strategies.

3)      Format—Your article must be typed, in MLA format, and show careful proofreading.

4)      Due Date—The first draft of your article is due on Wednesday, January 22.

Update Jan. 14

Students took a reading quiz at the start of class. We then discussed Huckleberry Finn.

• We explored the symbolic loss of innocence involved in the snake incident on the island. The island was paradisiacal until the snake incident which revealed a darker side to the apparent childlike innocence of the story. Huck and Jim end up leaving the Edenic island and being cast out into the "world" of Southern society, down river.
• With the snake incident, we see Huck lying to Jim by omission.
• We see likewise that the relationship between Jim and Huck may not be as simple as it seems. Jim, an escaped slave, feels threatened when Huck, a member of Jim's owner's household, discovers him on the island.
• Jim strategically prompts Huck how much Huck needs him during the rainstorm.  He may do this to secure Huck's assistance, when in reality Jim has benefited from the relationship as much as, or more than, Huck.
• We detect Jim's intelligence when he discusses his plans for escape. We also saw earlier in the novel how Jim could use his hairball to "scam" Huck.
• When they find the dead body in the floating house, Jim covers the body apparently to protect Huck. However, a careful reading would indicate that this body may belong to Pap (who went away with his pockets full of money with some strange, dangerous looking men). Perhaps Jim has ulterior motives for keeping Huck in the dark--for Pap was the main reason Huck was running away and the main thing keeping Huck from going back to society where he could potentially turn in Jim.

Homework: Read Huckleberry Finn through page 65.

Update Jan. 13

We finished read "A Modest Proposal" together. As we read, we identified rhetorical strategies Swift employs in the article. We noted that Swift was writing a satire, as was Mark Twain. Both used satirical strategies including irony, juxtaposition, and narrative point of view.

Homework: Rhetorical notebook entry for A Modest Proposal due tomorrow. (Do not do number 4--we will write a full-length imitation article later.)


AP
Students took a quiz on subordination and coordination.

We then held a writer's workshop, revising essays using repetition, clear pronoun references, and subordination (conjunctions) for emphasis.

Homework: Final revisions of the monuments essay are due on Wednesday.

Update Jan. 10

By today, you should have read to page 27 in Huck Finn. As you read, you should be annotating ways in which Twain is using the story to comment on Southern society. Please also continue to pay attention to comparisons of Huck and Tom.

Students took a reading quiz and we discussed the assigned reading.

Next, we read together from Jonathan Swift's essay, "A Modest Proposal." (https://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Texts/modest.html)

Homework: Huckleberry Finn read through page 47. Continue annotating ways in which Twain comments on Southern society.

Update Jan. 8

We discussed the challenging section of "The Ways We Lie" on lying by omission. Students also worked to identify rhetorical strategies in the article and to imitate the syntactical style of one paragraph from the essay.

We then read a bit from Huck Finn.

Homework: Rhetorical Notebook entry on "The Ways We Lie" due tomorrow.

AP
We continued to examine strategies for increasing cohesion in an essay. We focused on repetition, noting that repetition can be used at the beginning or end of a clause. Furthermore, repetition of key words is often used as a transition between sentences or even paragraphs. Overt repetition can be strategically employed, so long as the argument progresses with each repetition. (Remember the slinky analogy.)

Homework: Have your next draft of the essay ready for class on Friday. All the major pieces (i.e. paragraphs) should be in place so that we can work on fine tuning revisions.

Rhetorical Notebook Instructions

Purpose

You will be keeping a rhetorical notebook for the readings associated with our unit on American Faith and Fear. The purpose of the notebook is to help you pay attention to how other writer use the resources of language to enhance your own writing voice and style. With each author you analyze and imitate, you will add new writing “tools” to your own writing toolbox.

Content

For each assigned reading (except for readings from Huck Finn), you need to make an entry that includes the following sections:

1)      Vocabulary—Identify at least 2 vocabulary words that you need to learn. Look them up. Write their definitions and copy down the sentence in which they appear in the essay.

 

2)      Evaluation of the author’s ideas—What is the author saying? Which ideas do you agree with? Which ideas do you disagree with? Why?

3)      Observations about the author’s rhetorical strategies—What rhetorical strategies does the author use? Which strategies are most effective? Why?

4)      Imitation of the author’s style—imitate the author’s writing style in one paragraph giving your own unique thoughts on the topic of the author’s essay.

Rhetorical Notebook Standards

 Each entry is expected to meet the following standards.

1)      Use MLA format, typing all entries.

2)      Each of the sections should be at least one full paragraph in length (with the exception of vocabulary).

3)      Respond using grammatically correct complete sentences. Proofread before submitting.

4)      Demonstrate precise thinking about rhetorical strategies. If you are uncertain, don’t just guess. Discuss your ideas with classmates until you feel confident about your understanding of the author’s strategies.

Notebook entries which fail to meet one of these standards will automatically be dropped a letter grade.

Update Jan. 7

We continued reading and annotating Huck Finn as a class. We discussed Huck's lonesomeness as a symptom of his not being part of society. Thus his freedom is also his lonesomeness. We examined Tom Sawyer's band of "robbers" as a microcosm of Southern society at large.

Homework: Rhetorical Notebook entry for the article "The Ways We Lie" by Stephanie Ericsson is due on Thursday.

Update Jan. 6

Welcome Back and Happy New Year! I am excited to be back with you and look forward to learning together this new semester. We will be starting our new unit on American Faith and Fear.

Today we began reading together from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. We noted the following:

1) Why would Twain begin the novel with a notice to not try to find meaning in it? Perhaps this is like a no trespassing sign which invites the curious and mischievous to trespass. Certainly the likes of Tom Sawyer would have seen this as an invitation.

2) What theme(s) are introduced in the novel's opening paragraph? Everybody lies at one time or another, but few will acknowledge it; instead we "tell the truth, mainly" or we "stretch" the truth. The very act of writing fiction is telling a lie so that everyone will believe it is true, and perhaps sometimes the lie is more true than reality. We also noted that from the very first paragraph, Twain sets up a contrast between Huck and Tom.

3) For Huck, civilization is a form of bondage. He sees the hypocrisy in so-called civilized society.

4) Twain juxtaposes the Christianity of the Widow Douglas with Huck's superstition, inviting the readers to see the similarities. After all, there is little difference between Huck's tying up a bit of hair to ward off bad luck and the Widow's "grumbling" a blessing over her meal to ward off ill effects.

5) Why does Tom pay for the candles he "steals"? This seems to be in the same vein as his demand that for Huck to join his band of robbers, Huck must first go back to the widow and be "respectable." He is a thrill seeker, but only for fictional thrills.

No homework.

AP
We discussed strategies for achieving coherence in essay writing. We defined a paragraph as one or more sentences that coherently express an idea. Likewise a sentence is one or more words that coherently express an idea, and an essay in similar fashion.

Strategies for coherence include:

• Repetition
• Emphasis
• Transitions